Abstract            Volume:6  Issue-4  Year-2018         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

Unsafe food has been a human health problem since history was first recorded, and many food safety problems encountered today are not new. More than 200 known diseases are transmitted through food. The chances of food contamination and cross-contamination become higher, especially in the lower socio-economic classes due to unsatisfactory environmental conditions, poor personal hygiene, poor quality and insufficient water supplies, unhygienic preparations, storage and feeding of foods. To find out the food hygiene practices of household food-handlers in a rural area of Thrissur district, Kerala, India. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 among 80 household food-handlers in a rural area of Thrissur district. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire based on WHO (World Health Organization) Food Safety Manual was used to collect data regarding kitchen and food hygiene practices. The study revealed that only less than half 37 (46%) had the desirable habit of always washing their hand before and during food preparation. Although majority 70 (87.5%) used to store raw and cooked foods separately, only less than half 39 (49%) used separate utensils and cutting boards for preparing raw and cooked foods. The results of the study showed that food hygiene practices should be improved in the community to safe guard them against food-borne diseases.

Download this article as